I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Truly worthy of being called 'another self'... It really hits the nail on the head, clearly pointing out the cowardice in her heart that, though insignificant, still exists.

"How can you possibly trust me?"

Standing to the side of the dawn, 'Shadow·Azusa' slowly removed her gas mask, revealing a delicate, porcelain-white face as exquisite as an doll's, just like Azusa's.

Her white hair cascaded down like a waterfall with this movement, swaying gently in the eternal dawn of Asgard.

"It's very simple..."

Her voice also became as clear and earnest as a zizi.

Then... she suddenly turned her attention to Amamiya.

"Let's have a fight..."

After pointing her index finger at Amamiya, she said seriously, "Let's have a fight... you'll be the one to give it to me."

"The phantom thief... proves himself to 'me' and to me..."

"You can truly redeem us from... that faint hope."

Chapter 42 I hit JOK, really?!

"Come on... Phantom Thief. Prove to 'me' and to me..."

"You can truly redeem us from... that faint hope."

The challenge of a 'one-on-one' proposed by Shadow Azusa stunned the girls, including Hifumi.

After a moment of surprise, the girls all turned their gazes to Amamiya, their expressions showing varying degrees of worry.

From the thread of fate conveyed by Ariadne (in-team voice chat), Amamiya instantly heard their worries and concerns.

Hanako: 'It seems... this might be the option with the least 'war.' Sensei... is that alright?'

Koharu: 'As the "ace" phantom thief... Sen, Sensei... you'll win, right?'

Jing: 'Let me see the true strength hidden behind the 'ace' who's been given so much hope...'

Hifumi: 'Sensei...please...!'

Zi: '...Good luck!'

Listening to their encouragement and 'BUFF', Amamiya felt for a moment like an old general on a stage—covered in flags.

No... don't treat me like a prison warden about to perform a ritual.

After a brief silence, Amamiya nodded to Shadow Azusa: "Alright... then I'll show you..."

He stepped forward, bent down slightly, and prepared for 'battle'.

[Paradise Lost] and [Emperor of Destruction] fell into his hands at the same time. He held a short sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. Amamiya then said the second half of his sentence.

"...The combat power of the 'phantom thief'."

Clusters of eerie blue flames ignited around him, and the next second, Amamiya suddenly charged forward, transforming into a dark shadow trailing behind him, enveloped in azure flames.

"BGM: Last Surprise -Scramble-"

(Note: This is the battle theme from the Persona 5 Scramble: Phantom Strikers 'Musou' version.)

As he charged forward, Amamiya also used his [Third Eye] to scan the basic information of Shadow Azusa.

[Cognitive Existence: Shirasu, the Ice and Snow Goddess, Skadi Azusa of Winter]

(PS: The names of P5's BOSS-level 'Cognitive Being' are always so outrageous; it's not that the author's naming is the problem.)

[Initial Level: 82]

Arcana: The Empress

[Prototype Introduction: Skadi, the 'ice and snow goddess' in Norse mythology, the goddess of winter.]

According to legend, she loved winter and snow, and enjoyed the mountains, forests, and hunting. Therefore, she was regarded as the goddess of winter and was also known as the "Goddess of Snowshoes."

She is a member of the Aesir, a race of gods. In mythology, Loki, the god of treachery, betrayed the gods, who then bound him to a giant rock and placed a venomous snake dripping from his head.

It is said that the venomous snake was placed there by Skadi.

"..."

Shadow Azusa held a gun in one hand and pulled out a melee weapon that looked familiar to her with the other hand—a crowbar with one end curved and the other end sharp and flat, like a bent staff.

The crowbar in his hand shimmered with wisps of frost from Jotunheim, and the small, white wings behind him instantly magnified several times, even ten times, and fully opened, covered with countless frosts, becoming the 'Wings of Ice and Snow'.

Suddenly, He flapped His wings, and glaciers sliced ​​through the ground, transforming into crystal-clear, transparent pillars that rose up the earth and separated Amamiya from the girls traveling with him, like an electric net in a boxing ring.

Smooth icicles, as tall as icebergs and so high they stop in their tracks, completely enclose and divide the battlefield.

This eliminated the possibility of 'off-field support' and also prevented the possibility of either side fleeing.

Shadow·Zi fluttered its wings and floated up lightly, retreating in a low-altitude flight. The rifle in its hand, also covered in frost, fired in succession. The cold wind carried by its wings turned into ice spikes, which splashed everywhere in the storm of bullets.

“Psona… Raul!”

A red-clad, winged phantom thief appeared behind Amamiya, spreading his wings as he grabbed Amamiya's shoulders.

'call……'

Amamiya suddenly accelerated, leaping up on a flying ice spike that was several meters long, and unleashed a barrage of fire from his [Destruction God Emperor].

As the large-caliber pistol unleashed the "Little Jehovah" (Metatron) flames, the countless ice spikes, like feathers scattered across the sky, were instantly shattered, and a small portion of them melted away.

No matter how high the firing rate and damage of a pistol are, it can never match the rate of fire of a rifle, at least in terms of attack frequency... but it is enough to create openings.

Shadow Azusa knew all along that such a weak 'AOE' attack was unlikely to cause any damage to a 'top' phantom thief like Amamiya. Maintaining distance and harassing from afar was just her way of building up momentum for her next attack.

Neither Azusa herself nor her shadow are likely to be the type to ramble on during battle or complain while fighting.

Without a word, it folded its wings, completely closing its enormous ice and snow wings, turning them into a semi-transparent, spindle-shaped ice cone.

With a whoosh, the spindle-shaped ice spike, like a fin-stabilized discarding sabot armor-piercing projectile, whistled and spun as it charged toward Amemiya.

Amamiya did not dodge. The [Raul] behind him suddenly flapped its wings and hovered, then spun around and threw Amamiya out.

The short sword in his hand, named "Paradise Lost," was gleaming with sharpness. The short sword, forged by the "heretic archangel" (Satanyel) to punish God for the seven deadly sins, roared and ignited with black and red cursed flames.

Amamiya's expression was solemn as he swung his sword forward in a slash.

"Clang——"

The collision of frost and original sin, their mutual crushing and devouring, produced a piercing clang of metal clashing.

The ice flowers and the black and red flames of the cursed beast scattered and splashed like sparks from a violent collision.

The splashing ice flowers were tinged with the glow of the 'Eternal Dawn,' instantly spreading a dazzling array of colors like a rainbow.

The escaping flames of the curse vanished in mid-air like scattered sparks, eventually turning into pale red 'raindrops' that fell to the ground.

"This is simply..."

Akira, who was able to safely watch the battle under the double protection of the ice cone barrier erected by 'Shadow Azusa' and the red cloak curtain subsequently set up by Amamiya, was completely stunned.

It was like... the kind of epic battle that only happens in 'classical stories'.

Jing sighed, while the four girls in the tutoring department all looked up, their eyes fixed on the scene, intently observing the 'battle'.

After a fierce initial clash, 'Shadow·Zi's' protective wings shattered inch by inch, her long white hair fluttered, and wisps of condensed frost rose up.

Like a mirror shattered by a tremendous force, 'Shadow Azusa' held a crowbar, gritted her teeth, and pressed down with all her might. Then, she forcefully deflected the short sword burning with the flames of curse.

His other hand, having discarded the rifle, was now encased in translucent frost, forming a sharp claw. In the midst of the stalemate, he reached out.

"Psona...! Shiva!"

A purple colossus with multiple arms, wielding different 'divine artifacts,' appeared accompanied by burning eerie blue flames.

【Psona - Shiva (Arcana: Judgment)】

[Introduction: One of the three principal gods recorded in Hindu mythology, said to possess the 'form of all beings' and be the lord of the three thousand realms.]

According to mythology, Shiva is the god of creation and destruction, possessing the power of a destroyer. He is also a multi-talented god, holding the divine responsibility of dance, and is thus known as the "God of Dance."

The drum in His hand symbolizes life. The trident is a symbol of lightning. Legend has it that His third eye can spew forth divine fire that can destroy everything, having burned down three demon cities and the goddess of love that tempted Him.

'snort--'

The wrathful god of destruction opened the third eye on his forehead.

A deep blue divine fire, with a temperature measured in millions, burst forth and landed on 'Shadow·Zi's' frost-covered claws, melting the ice and snow with a hiss.

Weak!

"hiss……!"

Burned and in excruciating pain, 'Shadow·Zi' let out a clear cry of pain. After divine fire wrapped around his arm, he quickly withdrew his hand, which had been burned.

Even so, the divine fire, like a maggot clinging to her bones, spread along the frost on her body and eventually ignited her entire body.

"Hmph...that's interesting..."

interesting?

It's not over yet!

"Let me show you... the difference in scale!"

Taking advantage of 'Shadow Azusa's' retreat, Amamiya swung her sword diagonally, and the howling flames of curse on the blade instantly transformed into a huge, surging black and red arc.

"Shiva! All things flow and change!"

The purple giant, having received the command, raised his trident, which could summon wind and rain and control lightning.

"Panta Rhei: Deals massive Gale-type damage to a single enemy. The effect is doubled against burning enemies."

Everything in the world is in constant motion and change. Fire is fueled by the wind, and the wind fuels the fire. This is the natural order of things.

The emerald green wind, symbolizing the flow of all things, roared and condensed into a vortex, instantly blowing away the burning azure flames and concentrating them across the entire sky.

Spread and scorched by a flame no less powerful than that of the [Staff of Calamity - Levadin] (the weapon of Surtur, the giant who ignited the World Tree in Ragnarok), 'Shadow Azusa' was instantly trapped in a vacuum of absolute flames and hurricane.

"...cough cough..."

'Shadow Azusa' is clearly not feeling well...

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that she was burned to the point of near exhaustion by that one blow.

—Under Ragnarok, no Norse god was able to survive.

Skadi, the goddess of ice and snow, who also belongs to Norse mythology, is no exception.

"Phew... As expected of... the phantom thief known as the 'ace'."

The moment the opening appeared, 'Shadow·Azusa' only had time to utter one sentence before she felt a cold, sharp blade on her shoulder.

Burning with raging black and red cursed flames, the blade of a dagger, magnified dozens of times, was placed against her neck.

His pupils were covered by a deep crimson that seemed to be under his complete control. Amamiya maintained the posture of 'holding a knife to the neck of the person opposite him', the hem of his long trench coat swaying in the wind like a pair of black wings that were gradually dissipating.

He coldly announced the entire outcome of the battle.

"Checkmate (in checkmate)."

Chapter 43 Shadow - Zi: Be a Great Hero, Don't Be Like Me

"Checkmate (in checkmate)."

As Amamiya uttered those words in a low voice, the entire battle essentially came to an end.

'Click, click—'

The ice layer covering 'Shadow·Azusa' peeled away inch by inch.

In a long silence, He finally closed His eyes slowly, as if in complete trust, and let out a long sigh.